White House Chief of Staff
and former Commerce Secretary William Daley delivered the keynote address to the Bureau of Industry and
Security's 24th Annual Update Conference on Export Controls and Policy. Mr.
Daley and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, who also addressed the conference,
both highlighted the administration’s continued priority for the Export Control
Reform Initiative as a national security imperative. In his remarks, Under Secretary of
Commerce for Industry and Security Eric Hirschhorn emphasized that the call for export reform by President Obama and Secretary
Locke is real and long overdue.

“The Obama
administration’s commitment to export control reform reflects an overriding national
security imperative. The current system—based on Cold War-era laws, policies,
practices, and controls—is not responsive to current threats and emerging
challenges of the twenty-first century. The administration launched ECR to
rectify these shortcomings and to increase U.S. security and competitiveness.”

The annual Update Conference discusses reforms to the U.S. export
control system that will strengthen national security and improve the
competitiveness of key U.S. manufacturing and technology sectors. White
House statement